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Dean shoves Jess hard, just as a strong arm pulls him back.
“Hey!! Break it up you two!”
Mr Cho pushes Dean away from Jess and steps in between them.
“Principal’s office, now.” He points to the school. “You too, Chuck.”
Dean wants to glare at Jess, but he’s already swaggering towards the school.
Great, he’s gotten in a fight because of this idiot. Now, they have to sit in a hallway together while Principal Merton speaks to them one by one.
Dean glares at Jess, sitting in the chair beside him. He’s frowning over a stained paperback like they’re at the beach.
“You saw it was me Jess. Why’d you keep punching?”
Jess doesn’t look up from his book. He shrugs.
“Had momentum.”
“Really?” Dean scoffs.
Jess turns slowly towards Dean, his eyes dark and menacing. “Why’d you get involved?”
“I was trying to help you.”
“Don’t need your help.”
His gaze returns to his book. Dean would like nothing more at that moment than to shove the book in Jess’ face. He acts so cool and detached, when all Dean was trying to do was help. But no… Jess doesn’t need anyone.
“Mr Mariano.”
Principal Merton steps out of his office with Chuck, who slinks away without looking at them. Jess snaps his book shut dramatically. A muscle twitches in his jaw.
They’re lucky enough to join today’s detention at the last minute. Jess is at a desk in front of Dean, reading his book behind his school-issued copy of Macbeth. For someone who reads a lot, Dean’s never seen him read the stuff they’re assigned. He just reads books under his desk. Dean wonders what today’s novel is.
“Sir, can I go to the washroom?”
“Wait for Jess to get back.”
“But he’s been gone for twenty minutes.”
Mr Sherman looks up from the papers he’s grading and fixes Dean with a critical stare. He sighs and waves a hand in the air. “Alright, fine. But no wandering the halls. You do your business and you come back. And if you see Jess make sure he gets back here.”
Dean nods quickly, suppressing a smile as he leaps out of his chair. Being a good student pays off sometimes. He imagines the sharp scoff and the eye roll he’d get if he said that to Jess.
Of course he’s not going to the washroom, he’s going to find Jess. He searches the hallway for the nearest exit and when he finds it, he pushes himself against the heavy metal door.
Jess is leaning against the red brick wall, smoking a cigarette. Smoke twirls around his dark curls and slips into the winter sky.
“Hey.”
Jess looks at him and frowns.
“What? Back for round two? Or are you Mr Sherman’s errand boy now?”
Dean shakes his head. He can’t believe this guy. They’ve barely ever talked and he’s already carved Dean out as enemy number one.
“Man, what’s your problem?”
“Me? No problem. Just don’t want this to get too West Side Story. I didn’t bring my dancing shoes.”
“It’s looking a little more Breakfast Club from where I’m standing.”
Jess smirks. “What? Taped a guy’s buttcheeks together recently?”
Dean meant the fact that Jess seems to be beating John Bender at the ‘bad boy’ contest, but whatever.
“The hockey team’s not into hazing.”
Jess raises an eyebrow in surprise. Maybe it’s the first time someone’s played into his bit during an argument. Dean feels a smug sense of achievement as Jess goes back to his cigarette silently.
“Why were you fighting anyways?”
Jess doesn’t look at him. His eyes harden on the patches of snow in the town square.
“Cuz Chuck Presby’s a jerk,” Jess mutters.
Dean’s eyebrows are swallowed by his floppy fringe. It might be the first time he’s heard Jess say something sincere.
“Yeah, he is.”
Dean’s surprised that Jess doesn’t burst into flames when he agrees with him. His jaw muscle twitches and he purses his lips, but no major freakout. Maybe they could get along.
Except for the fact that Jess tried to punch him. It’s not something he can easily forget. And he’s pretty sure it had something to do with Rory. He’s almost disappointed. Why does every guy have to be into his girlfriend?
“But then again so are you. So maybe you deserved it.”
Those dark beady eyes swivel onto Dean.
“Oh yeah? What would you know about it?”
“Rory’s already got a boyfriend.”
Jess scoffs. “Yeah… the big strong protector. Anyone tell you it’s not the 18th century anymore? Girls can talk to guys without their fathers present.”
Dean shakes his head. “I knew I shouldn’t have come out here.”
“Then why did you?”
Dean looks away from the dark burning eyes.
Because he saw a new face in town. Because he saw someone else reading The Rum Diary under his desk. Because he wanted to find out more about this chalk-outline making, gnome stealing, fight starting jerk who’s trailing around after Rory. Because he was curious.
“Why do you care?”
Jess shrugs. “I don’t,” he says simply.
Clearly, Dean thinks irritably. He’s deflated, he’s given up. “We should get back.”
Jess glares at him, don’t tell me what to do written on his face.
“After you,” Dean says sarcastically.
Jess drops his cigarette on the wet pavement and rips the school door open. He looks eager to get away from Dean.
He follows Jess into the hallway. There’s a paperback sticking out of the back pocket of his baggy jeans. It fell in the snow during the fight and looks a bit crumpled. But Dean can’t see the title. Plucking the book from his back pocket would be better than smashing it in his face. Quickly, he slips the book out of his jeans.
Dean frowns. Maurice by E.M Forster. He’s read it before, a few years ago, when he first-
“Hey! Give that back!” Jess’ voice is thunderous as he snatches the book out of his hands.
Dean doesn’t know if he should be more surprised about Jess reading a book featuring upper-class Edwardian Brits or about him reading a book about gay men.
Jess watches him murderously, almost defiantly. Dean tries to pick his jaw off the floor.
“You’re… reading Maurice?”
“Heard of it?” Jess sneers. His lip curls and he's shaking with anger.
“Uh… yeah. I have.”
Come to think of it, Jess looks the way Dean always imagined Alec. Dark curly hair, brooding eyes, short.
Jess looks at the ground, his eyes are still intense, but in an intensely confused way.
Dean speaks up. “Are you…?”
The defiant stare meets him again. “I thought you had a girlfriend.”
Dean shrugs, forcing himself to look Jess in the eye. “I do,” Dean says softly. “But she’s… she doesn’t change how I feel about guys.”
It feels like Dean’s lungs are out on display, like they’re struggling in air while Jess inspects them.
But then his eyes flit to Dean’s lips. It’s fleeting and small, but Dean notices. Just like he notices Jess’ hand tugging at the hem of his shirt.
“I hate Clive.”
Dean smiles. “Yeah, me too.”
Jess meets Dean’s gaze. His eyes are open and searching. Dean hopes he sees the yes me too, I didn’t think there was anyone else whirling in his brain.
“I like Maurice better.”
Jess takes a step closer and Dean’s glad he’s finally made a move. It makes it easier for Dean to believe this is happening.
Because when would he get a chance to kiss a guy again in this small town?
Rory doesn’t have to factor into it. It doesn’t have to be a big deal. He doesn’t always have to be good. He has a lifetime of doing what everyone thinks he should do, of being the good guy. Maybe he could have just one moment to himself.
Dean’s lungs are working overtime as he takes a step into Jess’ personal space and leans down to kiss him. As soon as Jess’ small mouth moves against his, Dean responds with years of pent-up hope.
His hands roam through the curls hanging from Jess’ neck. It’s so short and soft, a little fuzzy at his nape. A thrill of happiness rushes over him. He thinks he sighs, but he doesn’t care. He’s just a body at this point.
When they part, Dean loves the pinkness of Jess’ lips, how he smiles so small and sweet. They look at each other, dark eyes sparkling back at him, and Dean just knows they’re going to do it again.
He wants to be good, but with Jess Mariano in his life, the world’s just not letting him.